Missed the 6 months post op update !!

well it's all good on the left and getting better every day - ROM is almost 100% and the leg is strong and capable. I wish I could say the same about the right which for some annoying reason won't let it be. It's not at the stage yet of needing painkillers round the clock but I feel a bit like it's a volcano bubbling away and just waiting to erupt.

Official position on it is the angles are worse than the left hip (which has always been the problem one but is now bionic.. yay !) so structurally it's bad and the socket is very shallow. The femoral head is a good shape though and my OS is of the opinion that it's a great candidate for a PAO and we have a window of opportunity before the damage sets in and takes it down the path of a THR. According to xrays in March there doesn't look to be any significant damage and of course any pain is a sign of things starting to deteriorate. Up until last summer my right hip never ever caused me ANY pain whatsoever and I guess I was lulled into thinking in the last year it had been a bit overworked and would settle down.

Clearly it doesn't feel the same way and now thinks that it has a shot at glory, and can disrupt my life now :( It started a few months ago and the best way to describe the pain is that it's noticeable on going upstairs and feels like it is at the top of the socket (right inside if that makes sense). It's a sharp pain but then goes as soon as I stop. In the last week though I've had a couple of long days sitting in the one spot, in an uncomfortable chair, and the right hip is not happy about it. The dull nasty ache deep inside the joint sets in and is only relieved by painkillers. I've also got a bit of tenderness in the trochanteric bursa (which was the indicator of the start of the downfall of my left hip) and can't lie on the right hand side for too long.

I'm still in denial/absolutely terrified of a PAO/not ready for that decision and hopeful that if I can lose a stone or two, that might make a difference (note to self, stop the chocolate biscuits then).. because another surgery requiring another 2-3 months on crutches after 3 surgeries in 2 years, and most of that time on crutches, is NOT in my plan... full stop.

but equally, I've had a glimpse of having my life back and that makes me determined not to live in pain for any longer than I need to. Arghhhhhh...

Sorry - been awol....having a life !

ooops... missed a few weeks there - was off on a work trip to France which I'm pleased to report went well as it involved lots of trekking around airports and towns & cities - all of which the new hip coped brilliantly with. Even the now bad hip behaved itself. Then I had a lovely week on holiday and did lots of walking and a little cycling, and it continued to behave itself.. I love my new hip !!

I'm now 9 weeks post op (I think - just had to check the calendar which is a good sign) and it's not all about the hip - at last !! I'm at the point of more or less being able to do most things - can do upstairs now although there is a bit of residual muscle tightness down the left of my thigh - about halfway between the knee and hip.. so am working on that with my physio.. can put my socks on and tie shoelaces - not quite with total ease yet but I can do it and that's what's important !!

Inevitably now the left is fixed, my mind has turned to thinking about the right - no real symptoms - just the odd niggle if I've been sitting in a funny position. My OS has told me I'd be a great candidate for a PAO (the mother of all hip surgeries and not be taken lightly) on the hip and as it's largely symptom free he thinks if we do the PAO I might never need a THR.

I guess what I'm struggling with is I've had a great recovery from the THR (touch wood) so far and I know the PAO recovery would be much tougher and longer. Having had 2 previous ops on the left hip in the last 2 years which were difficult to rehab from I'm not in any hurry to go down that path again any time soon. I also feel like I have my life back now and I want to get on and live it and not have to rely on other people AGAIN for another x number of weeks while I'd be on crutches unable to do cook, look after the house, walk the dog etc.

Plus, thinking about having kids and although I know it would be sensible to get the PAO out the way - I'm sick of having the hips dictate what I can and can't do and just want to live. So, I've left it with my OS that I'll have a follow up at 1 year post op for the left hip and if I experience any increase in pain on the right, I've to get in touch with him. So fingers crossed it stays as it is. I think my gut feel is if I could get through having kids etc and a few more years down the line, have a THR on the right I'd be happy.

Seems extreme I know but I am a bit freaked at the thought of messing with something that doesn't hurt at the moment (athough once the pain starts it means that damage is being done and a PAO will become less successful) What I do know though is if the right starts to hurt the way the left did when it began to deteriorate a few years ago, I'll be knocking down the surgeon's door for a PAO asap. I guess I want to have my cake and eat it but is that so wrong ?!!

'Scuse the rambling !

4 1/2 weeks post op....

some more progress to report - am now walking inside and out with no stick or crutch ! Yippee !! Happened on Friday when I took my stick with me and I just didn't need to use it.. walking is very steady with no limp and the only slight issue I've noticed is going up a slope or hill - glute muscles are pretty weak and also stopping me from climbing stairs normally - still going up with the non-op leg first then bringing the op leg up and so on.

I'm not too surprised as I had this problem after the scope and I think it's partly residual weakness from surgery 2 years ago to repair a tear to my glute muscle. Will need to do some walking on the treadmill on an incline and do hills outdoors when I can. Today I managed to walk downstairs normally though so that's progress and I know that upstairs is just going to take time.

I'm starting to be able to do things like pull up my sock on the operated leg (kind of without breaking the 90 degree rule) and put shoes/boots on without needing a long handled shoe horn and I can now (oh I waited so long for this) walk around at my normal pace without thinking twice about it. I also made it to the supermarket alone today, with a trolley and had no problems at all. To be honest I'm having to remind myself I'm only 4 1/2 weeks post op and not totally overdo it...The hip is not sore in any way at all - I just get a feeling of pulling and tightness around the wound when I do a bit too much - and I know I need to rest for a bit and keep letting it heal as it's really only the skin that's healed up to now.

Oh and I managed to get onto my bike today with a bit of a hop and a skip so I'm going to do 15-20 mins a day on that this week and see how that goes. Felt fine when I tried it out earlier and I know that this will help with the glute muscles.

The only cloud on the horizon is my right hip. Annoyingly I've had to take painkillers a couple of times for it (just Panadol but even so...:-( )as it's a bit sore on the outer edge of my hip/thigh.. which is nastily familiar as that's what happened to my left - got trochanteric bursitis and the rest is history - the right niggles a bit when I lie on it and inside the joint is a bit nippy from time to time.

I'm really really hoping it will settle down now that the left hip is taking its fair share as I'm not ready to even think about any more surgery (the story on the right is the degree of dysplasia is worse than the left = centre edge angle of 17 degree and my surgeon reckons a PAO would give me a great result and potentially mean no THR ever required). To be fair it's no more than a niggle at the moment by comparison to the pain I had pre-op on the left but it needs to settle down and go away so I can enjoy this new hip.